COMMENTARY
Christians Who Don’t Attend
Church
By Dan Betzer
ByLine Online
CBN.com –
A leading religious magazine recently released a story
about the number of professing Christians who don’t attend
church. I took the article with a grain of salt because the periodical
often seems to be a bit more pro para-church oriented than pro
church.
But the article made me think on two issues: Why don’t
professing followers of Christ go to church? The Bible states
flatly that Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.
How can His self-proclaimed followers not love that which He
loves? That’s a valid question, isn’t it? Having preached
around the world, I think it’s a safe statement to make
that many American Christians want church to be about them. If
it isn’t, they are not going to show up.
Here is something else that bothered me: If a church is not relevant,
interesting, or helpful, as so many disgruntled believers alleged
in that article, what do pastors plan to do about it? President
Truman had a little motto on his desk that read, “The buck
stops here!” Well, that is true with us pastors as well.
The church we lead is a reflection of our leadership. If we are
not relevant, inspirational, and visionary then how in the world
can our church be? If we are not able to open God’s Word
with passion, fervor and revelation, then why should we expect
people to show up to hear us?
No, less-than-powerful church services do not excuse professing
believers for their lack of attendance. All of us have the responsibility
of discipleship, of doing those things God has commanded us to
do. When the doors of our Lord’s house are open, we should
be there.
From ByLine Online, a free email subscription. Copyright ©
2005 Media Ministries of the Assemblies of God.
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